This application relates to a valve that provides a versatile means for providing an emergency eye wash from an IV fluid bag or other container of suitable liquid such as water or saline solution.
The need for an emergency eye wash system can arises in many different environments, including without limitation hospitals, laboratories, police departments and in the home. Whenever a foreign substance, be it soap, mace, or a chemical used in a laboratory contacts the eye, it is desirable to flush the eye with significant volume (for example 1 to 5 liters) of water or other suitable fluid. In some cases where the risk of exposure is substantial, plumbed in eye wash stations may be provided. In other cases, the fluid may be provided from a special reservoir, U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,652 discloses a gravity feeding reservoir connected via a tube to an applicator in the form of an eye cup. Because of the volume of fluid desired, and the relatively low flow rate that is suitable applied into the eye, the delivery of fluid can require a significant period of time. Thus, a device such as that in U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,652 requires either the individual whose eyes are being washed, or some other individual acting as a care provider to hold the applicator in position during the washing procedure. Where the individual is incapable of doing this, and/or where the care providers available may need to attend to other injuries or take other actions more significant that simply holding an eye wash applicator, this can present limitations on the utility of such an approach to providing emergency eye wash.